Can opener



M. UYEHARA v 1,769,609

; July 1, 1930.

CAN OPENER Filed Dec. 6., 1926 Patented July 1, 1930 MATSUTARO UYEHABA,or Los memes, oamrormm v V can ornimn.

Application filed December 6,1926. Serial no. 152,897.

This inventionrelates to can-openers, and its object are to provide'animplement of this character having improved means for positioning theblade relative to the can-rim to make the cut adjacent thereto, althoughthe fulcrum prong of the can-opener may be eccentrically positionedrelative to the rim.

In ordinary can-openers, it is of common occurrence that the fulcrumprong is not accurately centered when a cut. is about to be made. Theblade subsequently will run out and prevent movement of the can-opener.To avoid this objection, I have provided a guide member integral withthe cutting blade, and

having thereon a roller adapted to roll upon the outer surface of oralong the rim of the can, to thereby retain the blade in 1ts propercutting position.

Another object is to proportion the parts so that the blade will followthe contour of the rim although the can may be of oval,

square, round, or irregular form.

Other objects and advantages may appear in the subjoined detaildescription.

In the drawings, Figure l is a planview of a can-opener embodying thefeatures of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is adetail view of the guide member and roller. Fig. 4: is a side view ofthe guide member and roller having one part of the guide member cutaway. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the. guide member with v theroller removed therefrom. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary and sectional view ofa can,

showing the can-opener in position for cutting the top of the can. Fig.7 is a plan vlew of a blank before bending to form the guide member.

Refer-ring in detail to the drawings, my improveddevice consists of abar 11, having an off-set prong 12, provided with a sharppointedextremity 13, and on its opposite extremity, a handle 14:. On bar 11,there is mounted a guide member 15, having an ina tegral blade 16, theintegral arms 17 and 18, a top 19, adapted to slide upon the top of bar11, and a neck portion 20, of oval section extending in slot 21, in bar11. The neck portion 20, allows a limited swivel movement of the guidemember in the cutting UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE q operation, andthereby permitting the guide 7 bearing pin 22, extendsthrough the topand through the extremitiesof arms 18 and 17 A roller 23,'is mounted onthe bearing pin 22, and brojectsfrom -thehousing f rmed by said arms,"and is adapted to roll upon the rim of the can to be cut, serving tomaintain the blade in a suitable spaced relation to the rim of" the can.,The roller further insures that the can-opener will operate easily; Theblade and guide member, being slidable, is

therefore adjustable to the size-of the'can,

andwill readily follow the contour of the. rim

of the can. s

In use, the top of the canto be opened, is first punched with an initialincision approximately at the center of thetop. The prong 12 is theninserted in this initial cut, and serves as a fulcrum for the bar andhandle. The blade is then positioned adjacent to the rim of the can,with the roller in engagement with the side of the can or with the rimthereof, as shown in Fig. 6. A pressure on the handle will cause theblade to pierce the can-top. The can is then rotated until the desiredcut is, made. Obviously, the can may be held stationary and the handleof the opener actuated to perform the cutting operation. With the roller riding upon the rim of the can, the blade is maintained a certaindistance from the rim, whether the prong was perfectly centered or not,thereby attaining ease of operation in opening the a minimum exertion onthe part of the opthe device also possessing the charerator durabilityand elliacteristics of simplicity,

.ciency in construction and operation, and contsisting of but few partseasily and cheaply manufactured and assembled. F -Whatisc1ain1edis'zf 7F 1. In a can-openerhaving a slotted bang-a e guide member'slidable-1"e1a.tive t6 said'bar, a

3 neck pqrtionen'saidguidemember extending in said, sldtgsiaidnepke'portion being. narrower thanzthe sletg ii, retaining top portioninte-,. V

'm' gi'al with the neck;porti'on,mand engaging- 1 7 "With thetopfqf thebar; azblade integra-Iwith" E and depending frbm the guide member, othelV portions of=theguide member extending t '5 t form a prqteting andsupgorting rollerea-ge, 1 ,anda,'r011e1mountedeilithegiiide member andprojecting item thexproteeting and suppol t 7,, ing;;cag eiiinppjosedmelatiom toethe blade and spacedapart iromthe blade; .2 H;;2, Ina c an-opene1:,tthe combinationwith; a'slottecl bar, of eguidemember slidable rela; tive to "said ber, a, neek'portion onsgid guidemember extending in the slotzin the bar, said H tp fi onwh i g an val fwu u-e ir -1 V w ning o po t on i egmL-W ththeeneck 1 251 'po 0n;:aidengag with 1 h p 0f he ball, a-fblade integral; with and -depending"from gthei gujde member, other; portions of the 'guide membeiextending'te form aJ pro- 1 tecting andesupporting :l ollereage, and arollermountedfin;ithe guide member and V 4 projectinggfromutheprotecting and {support-t 111g roller cage in opposed relatio n vto the1 a he l terabe p edvep ts r In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix mysignature I e -V :MA UTA O LU- A-

